Refrigerator car with a movable bulkhead



June 14, 1949. c. L. MOORMAN REFRIGERATOR CAR WITH A MOVABLE BULKHEAD Filed Oct. 22, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATOR CAR WITH A MOVABLE BULKHEAD Charles L. Moorman, Milllngton, Ill., assignor to Union Asbestos & Rubber Company, a corporation of Illinois Application October 22, 1945, Serial No. 623,714

5 Claims. (Cl. 62-19) l 2 This invention relates to refrigerator cars and substantially from the end of the floor rack H the like and more particularly to cars of this to the end of the car. type provided with convertible or movable bulk- To provide a floor in the space between the heads end of the floor rack and the end of the car when One of the objects of the invention is to pro- 5 the bulkhead i2 is in its retracted position, as vide a refrigerator car in which a single rack shown in Figure 2, a pivotally mounted floor serves both as a floor rack for the car and as rack is provided. As shown, the floor rack comli for th bulkhead, prises a perforated screen member I8 which Another object is to provide a refrigerator car may be formed of perforated or expanded sheetin which the rack provides a support-for a ic in metal and which is of a size to fill the space above grate when it is in a position for use as a bulkthe beams ll between the end of the lading rack h ad li II and the beam I 4 adjacent the end of the car.

stiu another object, i t provide a mounting The screen I8 is adapted to rest at one end on construction for the rack by which it is enabled filler strips 19 secured to the beams I! and exto carry substantial loads without requiring an tending a distance equal to substantially half the elaborate or expensive pivotal mounting conlength of he Scr en. The opp ite end 01 the i ti screen is supported by'reinforcing beams 2i ex- The above and other objects and advantages n n r he pivoted end of. the screen of the invention will be more readily apparent throughout substantially the other one-half of from the following description when read in conits e t e e o g beams 2| ge a nection with the accompanying drawing, in transversely extending angle beam 22 secured to whi h the lower surface of the screen for a purpose to Figure 1 is a partial longitudinal section appear later. through a refrigerator car equipped with the According to the present invention, the screen present invention showing the bulkhead in ex- I8 is adapted, when in its horizontal position as tended position; and own in g re to provide a continuation of Figure 2 is a view similar to Figural with the the lading rack ll so that the car can be loaded b kh ad i r tra t d position, substantially from end to end. When the car The invention is adapted to be utilized in con- ,is used as a r fr e ator car, the bulkhead is nection with a conventional refrigerator car havextended to the pos tion hown in Fi ure 1. At ing an end wall construction Ill and provided with this time the screen I8 is swung about its p t lading racks II extending longitudinally of the mounting to a vertical position in which it procar. and terminating short of the ends thereof. vides a liner for the inner surface of the bulk- The car carries a movable bulkhead indicated head. When in the vertical position, the screen generally at [2 which may be supported on tracks also serves as a support for an ice grate 23 which or the like adjacent the top of the car to be is pivoted at 24 to the end of the car and which moved from an extended to a retracted position. rests at its opposite end on the'support 22. It The mounting of the bulkhead is preferably such will be seen that in this position the reinforcing that it can be raised for movement and can be beams 2| carry the support 22 so that no excessive lowered when in either its extended or retracted loads are placed on the screen which might cause position. To hold the bulkhead against movement it to bend or buckle. If desired, a second ice when it is lowered, a transverse channel shaped grate 25 may be provided above the ice grate 23 foot member I3 is secured to the lower edge of supported on a bracket 26 on the bulkhead for the bulkhead to fit between transversely extendstage icing.

ing beams 14. When it is in its lowered position, The floor rack is pivotally supported adjacent the bulkhead may be held against accidental the end of the lading rack II by providing on raising by a latch plate l5 controlled by an operthe floor rack one or more arcuate arms 21 conating rod l6, as more particularly described and nected to the floor rack at points spaced from its claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. end and extending through openings 28 in the 623,715, filed October 22, 1945. beams H. The arms 21 serve to guide and sup- The transverse beam members I are carried port the floor rack during its pivotal movement by longitudinally extending supporting beams 11 and are so constructed that when the floor rack which may be of inverted channel shape and is in its vertical position, as shown in Figure 1, cut out along their lower edges to provide for the lower edge of the screen is and the lower tree circulation of air. The beams I! extend 55 ends of the reinforcing beams 2| rest directly on the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a refrigerator car or the like having a lading rack above its floor and terminating at a point spaced from the end of the car, a bulkhead in the car extending substantially from the top w to the bottom thereof and mounted for movement from a retracted position adjacent the end of the car to an extended position adjacent the end of the lading rack, a transversely extending beam adjacent the end of the lading rack and in horizontal alignment therewith to support the bulkhead when it is in its extended position, and a floor rack pivoted adjacent the end of the lading rack for movement from a horizontal position in which it forms a continuation of the lading rack to a vertical position against the inner surface of the bulkhead when the bulkhead is in its extended position.

2. In a refrigerator car or the like having a lading rack above its floor and terminating at a point spaced from the end of the car, a bulkhead in the car mounted for movement from a retracted position adjacent the end ofthe car to an extended position adjacent the end of the lading rack, a supporting beam extending substantially from the end of the lading rack to the end of the car, a floor rack supported on the beam, and an arcuate arm on the floor rack extending through an opening in the beam to guide the floor rack for pivotal movement from a horizontal position aligned with the lading rack to a vertical position against the inner surface of the bulkhead when the bulkhead is in its extended position.

beam, and an arcuate arm on the floor rack extending through an opening in the beam to guide the floor rack for pivotal movement from a horizontal position aligned with the lading rack to a vertical position against the inner surface of the bulkhead when the bulkhead is in its extended position, and the end of the floor rack resting on the beam when it is in its vertical position, and a support on the floor rack to support one end of an ice grate.

4. In a refrigerator car or the like having a lading rack above its floor and terminating at a point spaced from the end of the car, a bulkhead in the car mounted for movement from a retracted position adjacent the end of the car to an extended position adjacent the end of the lading rack, a relatively thin perforated screen pivotally mounted adjacent the end of the ladlng rack and movable from a horizontal position to a vertical position against the inner surface of the bulkhead when the bulkhead is in extended position, a beam extending across the lower surface of the screen to support one end of an ice grate when the screen is in vertical position, reinforcing beams extending from the pivotally mounted end of the screen to the last named beam and supporting beams extending substantially from the end of the lading rack to the end of the car on which the screen is supported when it is in its horizontal position, the lower ends of the reinforcing beams resting on the supporting beams when the screen is in its vertical position.

5. In a refrigerator car or the like having a lading rack above its floor and terminating at a point spaced from the end of the car, a bulkhead in the car mounted for movement from a retracted position adjacent the end of the car to an extended position adjacent the end of the lading rack, supporting beams extending substantially from the end of the lading rack to the end of the car. a relatively thin perforated screen supported by the beams to form a continuation of the lading rack, an arcuate arm on the screen extending through an opening in one of th beams to guide the screen for pivotal movement from the horizontal position to a vertical position against the inner surface of the bulkhead when the bulkhead is in its extended position, a transverse support on the lower surface of the screen to support one end of an ice grate, and reinforcing beams extending from the pivotally mounted endof the screen to the support, the end of the screen and the reinforcing beams resting directly on the supportin beams when the screen is in vertical position.

CHARLES L. MOORMAN.

file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Torburn June 6, 1939 Numberv 

